Divided container



Jan. 21, 1964 R. G. HUGHES 3,118,589

DIVIDED CONTAINER Filed June 7, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Jan. 21, 1964 R. G. HUGHES DIVIDED CONTAINER Filed June 7, 1960 Jan. 21,1964 R. G. HUGHES DIVIDED CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 7, 1960Q mw 17700215," R0554? G. HUG/IE6 United States Patent 3,118,589 DIVIDEDCONTAENER Robert G. Hughes, Toronto, Gntario, Canada, assignor toContinental Can Company of Canada Limited, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaFiled June 7, 196%), Ser. No. 34,586 Claims priority, application CanadaDec. 9, 1959 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-27) This invention relates to a cartonand more particularly to a carton with upstanding longitudinal andlateral partitions dividing it into a number of compartments.

A number of different proposals have been made for constructing cartonsof this type out of a single blank of material. The blank is providedwith sections which include wall-forming panels and extensions of thepanels adapted to form the floor and the upstanding partitions.

The present invention provides a structure along these same generallines but of an improved construction which is easy and economical tomanufacture, convenient to assemble and effective in use. In accordancewith the applicants structure, the blank includes two similar pairs ofdifferent connected section. A first section of each pair has arectangular wall-forrning panel having a rectangular floor-forming flaphingedly connected to it and, hingedly connected to the floor-formingflap, a transverse partitionforming flap. The second section of the pairhas a rectangular wall-forming panel and a floor-forming fiap hingedlyconnected to it. This flap is of regular trapezoidal formation taperingto a narrow side adapted to lie along the centerline of the container.To the tapered side of the flap is hingedly connected apartition-forming extension made up of a narrow rectangular panel, a finconnected to this panel near its extremity and extending laterallytherefrom and separated from it by a tapered slot and a connecting flaphingedly connected to the side of the rectangular panel. The fin has aninner edge parallel to the hinged edge of the rectangular panel. Thenarrow rectangular panel and fin form part of the longitudinalpartition, the slot giving passage to one of the transverse partitions.The transverse partition preferably has one half higher than the slotand the other half lower. The lower half can thus pass through the slotto allow the higher half to abut against the longitudinal partition. Theconnecting flap is adapted to be bent at right angles to the rectangularpartition and to abut and be adhesively secured to a lateral partition.Top flaps are hingedly connected to the wall-forming panels.

The blank is assembled into a container in a manner which will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art from the operation ofanalogous devices.

The invention has been generally described and it will now be referredto in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings illustratinga preferred container and preferred blank for making it, in which FIGURE1 is a top plan view of the assembled container before it is filled withbottles.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIGURE 1 withpart of the walls cut away to show the partitioning.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-section along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-section along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a blank suitable for makthe container of theprevious figures.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the container is preferablymade from a single blank A of material the reverse side of which isshown in FIGURE 5. The blank will first be described for facility inunderstanding the invention, but the numbers given to the parts of theblank will also be given to the parts of the container 3.,ll3,53Patented Jan. Zl, 1964 "ice made from the blank. The blank is die-cutand scored to form (looking at the reverse side of the blank right sideup as in FIGURE 5) in sequence, an end wall-forming panel 15 hinged to aside wall-forming panel 17 which is in turn hinged to an endwall-forming panel 1-9 which is in turn hinged to a side wall-formingpanel 21.

The respective panels are provided with top flaps hinged thereto asfollows; to the panel 15, the flap 23; to the panel 17, the flap 25; tothe panel 19, the flap 27; to the panel 21, the flap 29'.

In accordance with the invention, appendages of the wall-forming panelsform the floor of the container and longitudinal and laterally extendinginterlocking partitions which project upwardly from the floor of thecontainer. With this in mind, the panel 15 is provided with afloorforming flap 3d. The bottom flap 3 1 is hinged to a flap 33 whichforms one of the laterally extending partitions. The flap 33 has anouter margin of the form shown including a straight edge 33a,inwardly-extending center edge 33b terminating in a shallow slot 54, anda curved edge 33c extending from the other side of the slot 34.

To the bottom of the side panel 17 is hinged a floorforrning regulartrapezoidal flap 35 which in turn has hinged to one diagonal side thetriangular flap 37. The flaps 35 and 47 form a part of the fioor of thecontainer. Hinged to the narrow side of the flap 35 is a rectangularflap 39, to the right hand side of which is hinged the flap 41 which isseparated from the flap 37 by the cut 43. To the side of the flap 39near its bottom edge is laterally connected through a narrow connectingpart 47a, a fm 4-5. The fin 45 has an inclined inner side 45a separatedfrom the flap 39 by a tapered slot 4-7. The top edge 45b of the flap 45is in line with the hinge between the flaps 3-5 and 59 The end panel 19sirnilarly to the end wall-forming panel '15, is provided with a hingedflap 51 which in turn is hinged to a flap 53. The flap 55 has an outermargin similar to that of the flap 33 including a straight portion 53a,an inwardly extending margin 53b ending in a slot 54 and a curvedportion 530.

The section containing the panel 21 and the flap 29 is similar to thesection containing the panel 17 and the flap 25. T o the panel 21 ishingedly connected a regular trapezoidal flap 55 to one side of which ishingedly connected a triangular flap 57. To the short side of thetrapezoidal flap 55 is connected a narrow rectangular panel 5?. To theright-hand side of this panel is connected a flap 6 which is separatedfrom the flap 57 by a cut 63. A fin 65 is connected to the panel 59 by anarrow adjoining portion 6% and extends inward separated from the panel59 by a slot 69. The fin 65 has an edge 65:: parallel to the score line55:; between the flaps 55 and 59.

To the panel 21 is hingedly connected a laterally extending narrow longflap 22 which serves as a gluing strip for connecting the wall panel 21to the wall panel 15 when the container is assembled.

Assembly The manner of assembly of the container will be clear to oneskilled in the art. As seen in FIGURE 2, the panels 15, 17, 19 and 21 ofthe blank form the side and end walls. The panels 35 and 55 are bentinwards to form part of the floor, and the panels 31 and 51 bent inwardsto overlie the panels 35 and 55 respectively. The panels 33 and 53 arebent upwards to form transverse partitions. The parts 39 and 45 and 59and 65 respectively combine to form the longitudinal partition. Theparts 41 and 61 are bent laterally to be adhesively secured to the parts33 and 53 respectively fulfilling the dual function of reinforcing thetransverse partitions and connecting the longitudinal and transversepartitions. The panels 33 and 53 are received by the slots 47 and 69allowing the longitudinal and transverse partitions to intersect. Theflap 37 is folded over on top of the flap 35 and adhesively secured tothe underside of the area 37a of the part 31 shown by the shading onFIGURE 5. Likewise, the flap 57 is folded on top of the fiap 55 andadhesively secured to the underside of the area 57a of the part 51.

I claim:

1. A paperboard blank cut and scored for forming a carton having foursides, a floor, and a longitudinal and two transverse partitionsextending upwardly from the fioor to provide compartments, the blankhaving two connected pairs of adjacent identical sections, each sectionof each pair having a rectangular panel forming one of the side walls, afirst flap hingeably connected to one panel of a first pair of sectionsforming a portion of the fioor and a second flap hingeably connected tothe first flap to form part of one of the transverse partitions, thesecond pair of sections having a tapering floor-forming flap having itslong side hingeably connected to the said second section wall panel andits short side remote therefrom and adapted to lie centrally of thefloor of the container, a longitudinal panel-forming flap hinged to theshort side of the tapering flap, a lateral fin connected to one side ofthe longitudinal panel-forming flap by a narrow ligament adapted tobridge the transverse partition, said fin extending laterally along anedge which is an extension of that of the longitudinal panel-formingflap and inwardly towards the tapering flap to an edge parallel to theinner edge of the rectangular panel to which it is connected, the finthus defiinng with the panelforming flap a slot widening in thedirection of the tapering fiap adapted to receive one of the transversepartitions of the first section, said longitudinal panel-forming flaphaving hinged to its other edge a flap adapted to be bent at rightangles to it and to be juxtaposed to one of the transverse partitions,said second flap being longer at one side than the other so as toprovide a part adapted to extend above the level of said slot in thelongitudinal panel and a part adapted to terminate substantially at theupper end of said slot, and said blank having a flaphinged to an outsiderectangular panel for connection with the margin of the outside panel onthe other end of the blank.

2. A container made from a single blank of material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side Walls and a floor ofthe collapsible type, the four side walls each being provided withfloor-forming flaps extending transversely part-way toward the oppositeside wall to form the floor of the container and extensions of saidflaps extending inwardly to form longitudinal and interlockingtransverse panels, a pair of opposed side walls each being provided withupper floor-forming flaps extending part-way towards the other side andconnecting to the floor-forming flap an upstanding flap constituting atransverse panel, the floor-forming flaps of the other two opposed sidewalls of the container being tapered and having their long side hingedto the wall-forming panel and their short side lying halfway across thefioor of the container, a narrow partition-forming panel connected tosaid short side and having hinged to one side a connecting flapjuxtaposed and adhesively secured to a transverse panel and connected toit at the other side a fin lying adjacent to the narrow panel, butseparated from it by a transverse panel-receiving slot accommodating oneof the transverse panels whereby the companion partitionforming flapsand fins combine to form the longitudinal partition, the fin beingconnected to its partition-forming panel by a narrow ligament bridgingthe transverse panel in said slot, the partition-forming flaps beingjuxtaposed at the center portion of the panel and the fins formingrespectively the opposite outside portions of the central panel, eachupstanding flap constituting a transverse panel having a short sideextending substantially to the top of the slot and a long side extendingabove the slot and lying adjacent to said ligament, a securing flaphinged to a side edge of said tapering flap adapted to be juxtaposed tothe tapering flap and adhesively secured to said first flap of the saidone panel thereby to hold these parts in place at the bottom of thecontainer.

3. A container made from a single blank or" material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side walls and a floor ofthe collapsible type, the four side walls each being provided withfloor-forming flaps extending transversely part-way toward the oppositeside wall to form the door of the container and extensions of said flapsextending inwardly to form longitudinal and interlocking transversepanels, a pair of opposed side walls each being provided with upperfloor-forming flaps extending part-way towards the other side andconnecting to he floor-forming flap an upstanding flap constituting atransverse panel, the floor-forming flaps of the other two opposed sidewalls of the container being tapered and having their long side hingedto the wall-forming panel and their short side lying halfway across thefloor of the container, a narrow partition-forming panel connected tosaid short side and having hinged to one side a connecting fiapjuxtaposed and adhesively secured to a transverse panel and connected toit at the other side a fin lying adjacent to the narrow panel, butseparated from it by a transverse panel-receiving slot accommodating oneof the transverse panels whereby the companion partition-forming flapsand fins combine to form the longitudinal partition, the fin beingconnected to its partition-forming panel by a narrow ligament bridgingthe transverse panel in said slot, the partition-forming flaps beingjuxtaposed at the center portion of the panel and the fins formingrespectively the opposite outside porions of the central panel, eachupstanding flap constituting a transverse panel having a short sideextending substantially to the top of the slot and a long side extendingabove the slot lying adjacent to said ligament, the taperedfloor-formingfiaps each having a flap hingedly connected to one side thereof andturned over into juxtaposed position thereof and adhesively connected tothe bottom of said floor-forming flaps.

4. A container made from a single blank of material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side walls, a floor andlongitudinal and transverse parti tions extending inwardly from thefioor, opposed sides of the container each having two extensions formingan upper layer of the floor and an upwardly extending trans versepartition spaced from the transverse partition of the other wall, eachof the other pair of opposed walls having a tapering flap forming a partof the floor and meeting at the centerline of the container and having afurther upstanding flap forming juxtaposed to the corresponding flap ofthe opposed wall a central part of the longitudinal partition betweenthe transverse partitions and having a laterally extending flap bent atright angles to said central fiap and abutting one of he transversepartitions, and a fin partition separated from the central panel by aslot giving passage to a transverse partition and forming a part of thelongitudinal partition between the transverse partition and the wall ofthe container, said longitudinal partition bridging said lateralpartitions, the tapering flap being provided with a side flap injuxtaposition therewith and adhesively secured to the said extensionswhich form the upper layer of the floor.

5. A container made from a single blank of material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side walls and a floor ofthe collapsible type, the four side walls each being provided withfloor-forming flaps extending transversely part-way toward the oppositeside wall to form the floor of the container and extensions of saidflaps extending inwardly to form longitudinal and interlockingtransverse panels, a pair of opposed side walls each being provided withupper floor-forming flaps extending part-way towards the other side andconnecting to the floor-forming flap an upstanding flap constituting atransverse panel, the floor-forming flaps of the other two opposed sidewalls of the container being tapered and having their long side hingedto the Wall-forming panel and their short side lying h lfway across thedoor of the container, a narrow partition-forming panel connected tosaid short side and having hinged to one side a connecting flapjuxtaposed and adhesively secured to a transverse panel and connected toit at the ther side a fin lying adjacent to the narrow panel, butseparated from it by a transverse panel-receiving slot accommodating oneof the transverse panels whereby the companion partition-forming flapsand fins combine to form the longitudinal partition, the tin beingconnectec to its partition-forming panel by a narrow ligament bridgingthe transverse panel in said slot, the partition-forming fiaps beingjuxtaposed at the center portion of the panel and the fins formingrespectively the opposite outside portions of the central panel, eachupstanding flap constituting a transverse panel having a short sidextending substantially to the top of the slot and a long side extendingabove the slot and lying adjacent to said ligament, the tape edfloor-forming flaps each having a flap connected to one side thereof andadhesively connected to the bottom of the non-tapered floor-formingflaps of the adjacent panel.

6. A container made from a single blank or" material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side walls and a floor ofthe collapsible type, the our side Walls each being provided withfloor-forming flaps extending transversely part-way toward the oppositeside Wall to form the floor of the container and extensions of saidflaps extending inwardly to form longitudinal and interlockingtransverse panels, a pair of opposed side walls each being provided withupper fioor-torming flaps extending part-way towards the other side andconnecting to the floor-forming flap an upstanding flap constituting atransverse panel, the floor-forming flaps of the other two opposed sidewalls of the container being tapered and having their long side hingedto the wall-forming panel and their short side lying halfway across thefloor of the container, a narrow partition-forming panel connected tosaid short side and having hinged to one side a connecting flapjuxtaposed and adhesively secured to a transverse panel and connected toit at the other side a fin lying adjacent to the narrow panel, butseparated from it by a transverse panel receiving slot accommodating oneof the transverse panels whereby the companion partition-forming flapsand fins combine to form the longi-v tudinal partition, the fin beingconnected to its partition forming panel by a narrow ligament bridgingthe transverse panel in said slot, the partition-forming flaps beingjuxtaposed at the center portion or" the panel and the fins formingrespectively the opposite outside portions of the central panel, eachupstanding flap constituting a transverse panel having a short sideextending substantially to the top of the slot and a long side extendingabove the slot and lying adjacent to said ligament, the said long sideof the transverse panel bearing against said ligament thereby to limitentry into said slot of the transverse panel and to give the ligamentand transverse panel mutual support at the top.

7. A container made from a single blank of material by scoring andcutting the blank, the container having four side walls, a floor andlongitudinal and transverse .artitions extending inwardly from thefloor, opposed sides f the container each having two extensions formingan upper layer or" the floor and an upwardly extending transversepartition spaced from the transverse partition of the oil er wall, eachof the other pair of opposed Walls having a tapering flap forming a partof the floor and meeting at the centerline of the container and having afurther upstanding flap forming juxtaposed to the corresponding flap ofthe opposed wall a central part of the longitudinal partition betweenthe transverse partitions and having a laterally extending flap bent atright angles to said central flap and abutting one of the transversepartitions, and a fin partition separated from the central panel by aslot giving passage to a transverse partition and forming a part of thelongitudinal partition between the transverse partition and the wall ofthe container, said longitudinal partition bridging said lateralpartition, each transverse partition having a central short downwardlyextending locking slot to receive a portion of the longitudinal panelimmediately above said slot therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,574,461 Bolding Nov. 13, 1951 2,712,832 Buttery et al July 12, 19552,785,844 Metzger Mar. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 573,451 Canada Apr. 7,1959

2. A CONTAINER MADE FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF MATERIAL BY SCORING ANDCUTTING THE BLANK, THE CONTAINER HAVING FOUR SIDE WALLS AND A FLOOR OFTHE COLLAPSIBLE TYPE, THE FOUR SIDE WALLS EACH BEING PROVIDED WITHFLOOR-FORMING FLAPS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY PART-WAY TOWARD THE OPPOSITESIDE WALL TO FORM THE FLOOR OF THE CONTAINER AND EXTENSIONS OF SAIDFLAPS EXTENDING INWARDLY TO FORM LONGITUDINAL AND INTERLOCKINGTRANSVERSE PANELS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE WALLS EACH BEING PROVIDED WITHUPPER FLOOR-FORMING FLAPS EXTENDING PART-WAY TOWARDS THE OTHER SIDE ANDCONNECTING TO THE FLOOR-FORMING FLAP AN UPSTANDING FLAP CONSTITUTING ATRANSVERSE PANEL, THE FLOOR-FORMING FLAPS OF THE OTHER TWO OPPOSED SIDEWALLS OF THE CONTAINER BEING TAPERED AND HAVING THEIR LONG SIDE HINGEDTO THE WALL-FORMING PANEL AND THEIR SHORT SIDE LYING HALFWAY ACROSS THEFLOOR OF THE CONTAINER, A NARROW PARTITION-FORMING PANEL CONNECTED TOSAID SHORT SIDE AND HAVING HINGED TO ONE SIDE A CONNECTING FLAPJUXTAPOSED AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO A TRANSVERSE PANEL AND CONNECTED TOIT AT THE OTHER SIDE A FIN LYING ADJACENT TO THE NARROW PANEL, BUTSEPARATED FROM